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Colombo Security Conclave

  • Vaid's ICS, Lucknow
  • 25, Apr 2022
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Why in News?

Recently, the Deputy National Security Advisor (Deputy-NSA) level talk also known as ‘Colombo Security Conclave’ was concluded between India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

  • The meeting was hosted by Sri Lanka.

About Colombo Security Conclave:

  • Aim: To “further promote” maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region.
  • Initiated by: President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2011.

At that time, he was Secretary to the Ministry of Defence.

Significance:

  • The current geostrategic dynamic that India shares with Sri Lanka and the Maldives is not very favourable to India.
  • The initiative is grounded in military and security collaboration with 2 Indian Neighbours i.e. Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
  • Earlier this year, India aired security concerns over Chinabeing awarded development projects on an island off Sri Lanka’s northern province.
  • The project was very close to India’s southern border.

Key Outcomes from the Meeting:

Intelligence sharing:

    • This discussion furthered the idea of intelligence sharing discussed at NSA-level trilateral talks on maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region.
      • The NSA level trilateral talk happened 9 months ago.
      • NSA level trilateral talk was revived after a gap of 6 years (Possible reason behind such a long gap may be Chinese Influence).

“4 pillars” of cooperation:

    •  All the three nations have agreed to work on “4 pillars” of
      • Security cooperation including areas of Marine security
      • Human trafficking and Organised Crime,
      • Counter-terrorism and Radicalisation, and
      • Cybersecurity.

Joint Exercises and Training in areas of cooperation mentioned above will also take place.

India-Maldives Relations

Engagement with QUAD (India, Japan, Australia and US)

  • Maldivian engagement with the ‘Quad’, has been growing over the last year, especially in the area of defence cooperation.
  • The Ibrahim Mohamed Solih government signed a ‘Framework for a Defence and Security Relationship’ agreement with the United States last year
  • It was welcomed by India.
  • In 2020, the Maldives also received a Japanese grant for the Maldivian Coast Guard and a Maritime Rescue and Coordination Center.